A road that is higher than the surrounding land and has drainage ditches at the sides
"The old highway climbs steeply above the valley floor, flanked by deep drainage ditches on either side."
In plain English: A highway is a major road designed for fast travel between cities and towns.
"We drove along the highway to get to the city faster."
Usage: In modern usage, a highway refers to a major public road designed for fast travel between cities or regions, rather than a raised embankment with drainage ditches. You should use this term when describing a primary thoroughfare used by vehicles, not when referring to an elevated roadway structure.
The word "highway" comes from Old English, where it originally meant a main road formed by combining the words for "high" and "way." It entered Middle English with this same meaning before becoming part of modern English.